15 | Kirpal Sagar – a Pearl in Punjab | Interview with Dr. Harbhajan Singh

The Kirpal Sagar Project in the North of India is a spiritual place common to all, that invites to come together as brothers and sisters in God. In this interview, Dr Harbhajan Singh provides insights into its main facilities, which are destined to help people practically and to further a comprehensive human development. Colour, caste and creed play no role. In boarding and public school girls and boys are educated towards the higher values of life. The Sarovar in the middle, with its Symbols of different religions, radiates an atmosphere of peace and tolerance. There is also a library with scriptures of all religions.

In any field where help is needed, it is done in a spirit of sharing, not of giving alms: whether in the home for the elderly, in the hospital or during medical camps. Through its agriculture, the Project is nearly self-sufficient. In the common kitchen people of all walks of life take their food side by side without distinction. Whether in parks or buildings, there is an inner beauty reflected everywhere.

The interview was recorded on 9th February 1994 in Kirpal Sagar, at the end of the World Conference on Unity of Man.

Transcript of “Kirpal Sagar – a Pearl in Punjab”

Question: Now we are sitting here in Kirpal Sagar. Can you explain the significance of Kirpal Sagar?

Bhaji: Yes, Kirpal Sagar is a place that is a heritage, that is a place for all human beings irrespective of caste, colour, creed or any country. 

This is an international institution and belongs to all. Here I have no reserved right. So, that was the wish of Sant Kirpal Singh. He came over here and commissioned this place, and He said that in future this place will become a pilgrimage place for all human beings who would come and bow down. And now it is working on this condition. 

You know, in Kirpal Sagar we have a school for children. If you go in a Sikh-school, they will teach Sikhism, if you go in a Hindu-school, they will teach Hinduism, if you go in a Christian school, they will teach Christianity. But after all, there are so many sects – that has multiplied in every situation; there are many, many offshoots therein. So the whole system of education is fully disturbed. Right from the beginning, we create chaos and barriers among our budding hopes, whereas these buds have to bring out fragrance to all, and when we create barriers, it is just like water which stands, then is stagnant and thereafter it smells. So, the smell is there.

Here we teach humanity, the way of life above the labels of rituals and rites, above different dogmas, caste, colour and creed, so that they must follow the right teachings. This we have seen practically that our students here have risen (above) a lot of problems, which even their forefathers could not do. Now parents come to us and say, “Morally, our children are very much developed and we thank you for that purpose”.

Secondly, there is a library for a comparative study of all religions, and we have and have invited already (to send) scriptures from all religions, so that we may have the independent view of all Holy Scriptures. Let us find therein the higher values of life which we really need during our lifetime. There is mention about God, but God is not in the Holy Scriptures. All competent Masters say like this. But these are precious ones, more precious even, I would say, than the value of the three worlds, because our purpose of human life is written therein. We should trust them, we should respect them as high as (we can) – we must, because whatever is written in the Holy Scriptures that is in the man-body, but what is in man-body that even does not exist in all the Holy Scriptures of the world. 

This is a big heritage, and all these scriptures also tell us that man is the only and the true temple of God. So let everybody tap inside and see that what is written in the Holy Scriptures is within, not outside. Those who have realized the truth always got it within, not outside.

In this direction, we have this library for a comparative study of all religions. A lot of people came and they benefitted. Their angle of vision was changed (and they could realize) the Power which is controlling the body, that sustains us, and they could realize that there is only one Father and (that) all these scriptures, which were written from time to time, have been labelled for them. 

So we should have love, we should have respect for all religions and for all Holy Scriptures, but in the right way, but in the right sense.

After this we have the Sarovar (water basin). There we will have all the four symbols of religions together. For this purpose, this foundation stone (was laid) for erecting such a building where there are all symbols of these religions together, because God made man and man made religions, and now God wants to bring all religions together. So all these outer forms of different religions like church, mosque, Gurdawara, temple we will put together, and we will create a common place for all the people to make prayer (and) to serve God. So we will put all symbols together.

Beside this, we have a common kitchen. There we take food – irrespective of low, high, poor, maybe of any status we can take the food together. It is a common kitchen, and here we serve the poor and the sick.

And then we have now the fathers’ home. I would say, it is the biggest in India, for one thousand people. This fathers’ home will serve all needy and sick and those who are very poor, who cannot live(alone), especially them we will help in their old age. For that purpose we have already a hospital. It is all charitable (for them). People asked me, “How will it be possible for you to serve one thousand people all the time? You must get something from them. There should be some fixed payment they must make.” 

You know, it is unlike in the West. People here are very poor, and especially in the fathers’ home  such people would like to come who have no money, who even have no hope to earn money and who are discarded from the society and die a miserable death. And for all such persons, this Kirpal Sagar Fathers’ Home is open.

And how to serve them? Only through conscious people. And who are those conscious people? Who just follow the footsteps of the Masters a hundred percent. Our Master lived a hundred percent for others and this stressed the need for us. So those who become consciousness co-workers of the divine plan, they really have to live for others. Their purpose to live for others is throughout their life, because they are conscious and they have to be conscious, they have to awake, they have to rise into higher consciousness, and even after their physical departure work with that Power for all the times. Because such people would have the eternal life all the times to work with Master.

So once you have known the higher values of life, there is no option for you than to live like that way of life. The devoted disciples of all Masters became like their Masters. We have such examples with us and we are well equipped with their knowledge. And this is the highest knowledge we can give to those old people. Maybe due to their unbalanced life, they could not help themselves even to know the higher values of life, (…..) this way of life, how to adopt it and how to go on with it. 

Further there will be a library separately for them and they can read these scriptures, and they will have other activities just to keep their life active. We have already created all these things and those who are trained in different professions we would also keep in touch with this profession, whereas now they are discarded and they are useless, they cannot do it, because they are leading (a life of) old age. So no business, not even any profession, not any department of the government allows them to work. Here they can continue with this way of life if they wish.

I have seen that we brought some old people and they remained in the Fathers’ Home for some days and thereafter said, “No, we cannot only live in this fathers’ home, we want to work in this institution, because we wish it.” They were sick, but only by working and keeping their life fresh and buoyant, they felt that this feels somewhat different, and their many diseases automatically went away. 

So such examples are with us, and they have a very loveable life because this Kirpal Sagar is just like a little village where all people live with one opinion and wherever and whenever they meet anybody, they would like to meet each other for all the times.

Here is not any distinction between young, old or like this. We take all human beings on the level of soul. And on the level of soul we all love each other, and those who are needy, those who need the help they are also helped. So in these directions …

Beside this we have a big piece of land also, because this Kirpal Sagar is coming up to 150 acres of land and here we are self-sufficient with food, vegetables and all that we need. Even we are growing vegetables without insecticides and fertilizer. 

In the school – it is a residential school – we supply all those stuffs to the children as well. Then we have the dairy farm, we have cows. We need at least 300 to 400 litres of milk every day – we are getting it. And in this way this institution is becoming self-sufficient, but even then it needs help, and I would tell you (about) some initiative steps from others so that such institution, I would say, (should) not only (be) in Kirpal Sagar- that should come up in the whole world. Just those who want to serve others, they should be given the choice to serve others. And people want to serve others selflessly, so this chance should also be given everywhere.

Here people come, and they serve others selflessly. It is a high time also, because it is the need of the time and whether we are politicians, religious or spiritual leaders, everyone thinks that we should serve and we should help others. Man-making and man service is the highest religion of all competent Masters; so is ours. We should not differ in it. So we can be in harmony, loveable atmosphere not (only) in our own environment, but from man to man, from the level of man. So it will cross all the barriers which we created among the religions, among our races, among the countries, and this world can become a wonderful house of God and we can find the unique value of our life and see our Father working in all of us. So that is all, thank you for that purpose.